Pirelli signs new three-year contract

Pirelli will be Formula One's official tyre supplier until 2016 after signing a new three-year contract.

The tyre manufacturer's future in the sport had been in doubt after its previous contract expired, with Pirelli keen to get rule changes approved which would allow it to test more often with relevant machinery following a number of tyre issues during 2013. It has now officially renewed its tyre supply contract with the FIA which will run until 2016.

As part of the new deal, Pirelli has managed to get some of the changes it had requested written in to the Sporting Regulations, which were outlined in a press release from the FIA:

'1) One of the 12 days of official pre-season testing, as prescribed in the 2014 Sporting Regulations, will be dedicated exclusively to wet tyre testing.

'2) Each team will dedicate one of their eight days of in-season testing, as prescribed in the 2014 Sporting Regulations, exclusively to tyre testing. This means that during each of the eight days of in-season testing, at least one team - and up to a maximum of two - will be concentrating on tyre testing along with Pirelli's engineers.'